Columns
Columns: How Tos, Advice & Lessons for Bass Players
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Making Bass Exercises More Musical (and Fun)
In this video, I’ll be talking a bit about how I try and apply exercises in a more open and musical context (aka, have more fun with them). There are a few minutes of talking and then a lot of playing around with the ideas we’ve been covering for the past few weeks. I hope... »
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Modal Double Stops and Broken Intervals
This lesson is a bit of a continuation from last week. Again, we’ll be dealing with more ways to internalize the major scale and related modes across the fretboard. Specifically, we’ll be working through a nice double-stop exercise as well as using some brain twisting broken intervallic exercises. »
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Bass Players To Know: Randy Meisner
It’s safe to say that the pop/rock music of the 1970’s have been trending in this column series. After recently highlighting the classic records and notable bass players of Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, and Billy Joel, I figured it was worthwhile to keep digging. The iconic easy listening songs that continue to permeate our musical... »
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Modal Arpeggio Patterns for Bass
We’re continuing our exercise series this week with a lesson on modal arpeggio patterns. Learning modes, scales, and patterns help to open the fretboard up in your mind. You learn the connections, intervals, and relationships of the notes. Some of this sounds more complicated than it is. Hang in there and we will work it... »
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Notes From The Bandstand: Supporting the Soloist
As jazz bassists, we know this scenario all too well: after taking their solos, the players in the front line head offstage, only to chat it up with each other until it’s time come back to trade or play the head out. Meanwhile, we’ve been playing non-stop since the downbeat. Frustrating right? Do they realize... »
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Percussive Techniques for Bass
For the next few weeks, we’ll be going over some more lesson oriented topics. I’m kicking off the series with a look at percussive techniques on the bass, specifically using your plucking hand. There are some easy techniques to approach as well as some more difficult ones. Work on these slowly with a metronome starting... »
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Establishing Your Rates as a Working Bass Player
Q: I have been networking, going to jams, and have actually started to make some headway in my local scene. I’ve just gotten a call about doing a regional week-long tour. The money seems a little low, though, and I’m worried about setting a bad precedent. I’d like to do the tour but don’t want... »
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Subdivision Exercises
For this week’s column, a reader asked about practicing rhythms. Instead of writing out a response, I decided to make this video to show you how I practice subdivision exercises. »
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How Do You Deal With Performance Anxiety
Q: Do you ever get scared? How do you deal with performance anxiety? A: I’ve written a fair amount about various types of musical situations I’ve found myself in, related anxiety, and how I’ve navigated it but this may be the first time I’ve written purely on fear. I’ve mentioned in the past that I... »
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Notes From The Bandstand: Timekeeping
In 2005 I traveled to Zurich for my first gig with an iconic jazz pianist (out of respect for his privacy, he’ll remain nameless). We haven’t rehearsed. We haven’t spoken about what we’re going to play. I’m told we’ll go over everything at the sound check but said pianist never shows up. We have a... »
